INEC Says Registration Officers Added AI Photos to Voter List

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission says AI-generated photographs entered the preliminary voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections. The commission linked the problem to alleged misconduct by some registration officers who used their official login credentials to add questionable records to the voter database.

Dr Lawrence Bayode, INEC's Director of Information and Communication Technology, disclosed the findings during an interview on Arise Television on Friday. He said the commission identified irregularities in several states after examining registration records through its Automated Biometric Identification System.

“Some of these pictures are AI-generated. Some of them not AI-generated, but very bad registration.”

Bayode stressed that the issue was not confined to one location, with irregularities discovered across different states nationwide. He explained that some registration officers had compromised the process by introducing records that failed to meet required standards.

The ICT director noted that not all questionable photographs originated from artificial intelligence tools. Some were linked to poor registration practices and failures to follow the commission's established procedures.

Bayode said some pictures were AI-generated while others were simply very bad registration. He added that the records entered the register because officers had access to register people.

The presence of such records raised concerns about personnel entrusted with handling sensitive voter information and maintaining the integrity of the registration system. Bayode did not disclose how many records were affected or what disciplinary steps would follow.